Ecological Design
info@ecologicaldesign.com.au
0418 262 706
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Every change counts.

18/11/2020

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Lee and Cecile contacted Ecological Design when they decided that they wanted a Home Energy Consultation. They were planning a renovation and wanted advice on how to improve the thermal performance of their home.

John met Lee and Cecile on site and provided a detailed analysis of their home and options to improve the overall energy efficiency going forward.

Lee recently got in contact and let us know that his project is still on hold but wanted to share the results of some small changes advised by John.
Lee and Cecile have solar panels and recently switched their gas cooktop to an induction cooktop and their gas hot water heater to heat pump hot water. With these changes, Lee informed us that their last quarterly bill went from $550 to just $10!​

They are understandably thrilled and only expect things to improve as they begin their renovation and implement more of John's advice into their home.

We will check in with them in 6 months to hear about their renovation.



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75% Power Savings after Energy Audit

5/8/2019

 
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Brian called me to find out about getting an energy audit after his quarterly power bill in their Mosman unit had risen to over  $2,500 per quarter. I conducted a complete audit of all the power usage in the home measuring both the running power usage and the standby power usage of most items, which we then presented in a spreadsheet to show where the power was being used. I also gave Brian  recommendations for the most cost effective ways to reduce his bill by over 50% with little or no change to his lifestyle. 9 months later Brian sent me  his most recent power bill. By following most of our recommendations plus a couple of other measures he had achieved a 75% drop in power compared with the same time 12 months earlier! That's a tremendous result for the environment and his hip pocket. Well done Brian!

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Rainwater Desalination Water and Dam Water

5/6/2019

 
PictureEcological Design home/office 3500 litre rainwater tank
As the Sydney Desalination plant ramps up operations again, using approximately 5 kWatts of energy for each kilolitre of water desalinated, at Ecological Design, we are back on 100% rainwater thanks to our first good rain in 2 months in Newtown. We’ve had over 40mm so far, while in the same time, the catchment has received so little rain that the combined stored volume continued to drop - now down to 54%.
With a full 3500 litres in an above ground tank and 3000 litres in a bladder tank under the floor at the home/office, we can now go another month with no rainfall before we need mains water again.
This big difference between the rainfall on eastern suburbs roofs vs in the dam catchments is the reason rainwater harvesting makes good sense in Sydney.

Huge Reduction in Power Bill following Energy Audit

25/3/2019

 
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Paul had a problem - home power bills of over $3500 per quarter - and while with a pool, quite a few fridges, and some large air-conditioner usage, he expected larger than average bills, that seemed too large. 
He called Ecological Design and organised for us to conduct a full Energy Audit where we measured the power usage of every appliance in the house and advised on saving measures which could be made. 
In the audit, we found some bathroom floor heating which was running right through summer, and some large standby loads. By the time we left, the power usage had dropped from 5 kilowatts (when we arrived) to just 1 kilowatt and Paul had the answers to where his power was going and what needed to be done to keep his bills reasonable. We also identified some improvements that could be made to his solar power system. 
One week later, Paul sent us a screen shot showing his power bill had dropped by 65%. Nice.

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How to make the most of your solar power with home battery storage

9/5/2018

 
PictureTesla Powerwall 2 Home storage Battery-image from website
Did you know you can collect and store your excess solar power during the day so it’s available to use at night? It can be a great way to maximise your power savings – especially if you use most of your power at night.
 
How it works
If you are a household that currently produces excess solar power, you are probably selling it back to your energy provider at a much lower price than you pay to buy power. However, if you have a solar battery, you can store that excess power to use in the evening instead of buying it from the grid.
 
Solar battery storage technology is advancing quickly with systems becoming more accessible (in terms of price and ease of installation).
 
Solar batteries are particularly beneficial for households who generate excess solar power and have high energy usage at night.
 
Ecological Design offers independent advice on practical ways to reduce your energy usage and carbon footprint. The first step is a Home Energy Audit to discover the best options for your particular needs.
 
It all begins with a conversation so call or email John Caley from Ecological Design on 0418 262 706 or  info@ecologicaldesign.com.au


Take control of your power usage with a home energy monitor

23/3/2018

 
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With energy prices continuing to rise each year, many households are concerned about their power usage. By installing an energy monitor in your home, you can track your energy usage - even when your appliances are in stand-by mode.
 
How it works
There are many different energy monitors available, depending on the functionality you want.
 
All monitors have a sensor installed in your power box and will display your power usage at any given moment either on a dedicated display or on your phone and other devices.
 
Energy monitors are a great diagnostic tool because they give you the information you need to take control of how you use your power. You can see how much power is used by different appliances as they are turned on and see how much standby power is being used when everything is switched off.
 
This information will give you the ability to make informed decisions about ways you can reduce your power bills without compromising your lifestyle.
 
Ecological Design offers independent advice on practical ways to reduce your energy and water usage. The first step is a Home Energy Audit to discover the best options for your particular needs.
 
It all begins with a conversation so call or email John Caley from Ecological Design on 0418 262 706 or  info@ecologicaldesign.com.au

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Greening your Home talk Warriewood, Sydney

21/9/2017

 
John Caley will beone of the invited speakers at this event about greening your home, either through retrofitting or as part of a renovation or new build.  28 September 7.15pm at the Nelson Heather Centre, Banksia Room, 5 Jacksons Rd Warriewood. Organised by permaculture northern beaches Details in the flyer below
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Speed Date A Sustainability Expert, Randwick

4/8/2016

 
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Need some professional guidance on your sustainable renovation or new build? Thinking about solar power or efficient water? Redesigning your garden or wanting to create green roof?
John Caley will be one of the sustainability experts you can meet with to discuss your project.

Get FREE advice and tips from Australia’s leading green architects and experts on energy efficient products, solar, gardens and more at Speed Date a Sustainability Expert, coming to Randwick on 4 September. Registrations are required.


Cleaning Evacuated Tubes

1/4/2016

 
Our 315 litre 30 evacuated tube solar hot water system produces more than enough hot water for efficient but unrestricted use by the five people in our household throughout most of the year, but last winter we had to turn on the booster for a couple of hours on several days. With the cold season approaching, I decided the evacuated tubes might benefit from a clean as they had not had one in the 5 years since installation. Climbing onto the flat corrugated steel roof where they are installed my suspicions were confirmed.  Despite recent intense torrential rain, the tubes were blotched with sooty deposits - possibly originating from the large Meleuca tree in front of the house.
Luckily cleaning the tubes was easy. I didn't want to use any chemicals because the roof is part of our rainwater system collection area.  Instead I just wiped them clean with a micro-fibre cloth labelled 'glass', rinsing it frequently  in a couple of buckets. The closest three tubes in the photo below have been cleaned. The whole operation took about 20 minutes.
No measure was made of how much improvement was gained by cleaning the tubes but after  I finished I watched with satisfaction as the controller showed the system continuously heating the circulating water by about 10 degrees as it passes through the manifold.  Hooray for showering in solar heated rainwater! 
John
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The 2015 green electricity guide

17/11/2015

 
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The Total Environment Centre and Greenpeace have released a handy new version of their green electricity guide in which they rate the greeness of Australian electricity retailers by state. Have a look and see if you can change to a supplier with better environmental credentials from your current one. Those in Qld, NSW and Vic. have the option of buying their power from either Powershop or Diamond Energy which both received a much higher rating than all the rest.  There is usually no transfer fee, no lock-in contract and the price you pay for electricity should be similar.

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